RIDGEFIELD -- Town residents voted 39-24 Wednesday to approve an ordinance that gives town officials a stronger hand in controlling blighted buildings.

The approval, at a town meeting at Town Hall, came over very strong objections by some speakers, who claimed the ordinance would give the town extraordinary powers of enforcement, including the ability to force people out of their homes via fines.

Marc Greco said the ordinance violated the First, Fourth and Fifth amendments of the U.S. Constitution. He, like many others, also felt the language of the ordinance was too ambiguous.

"It says blight is a condition that poses a danger to the general welfare,'' Greco said. "But general welfare is not defined.''